


Red And Blue : The World of Echo

by BrokenWingedTenshi



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Teen Titans - All Media Types, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017), Wolverine and the X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men Evolution
Genre: Amnesia, Asexual Chloe Bourgeois, Asexual Lance Alvers, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bad parent Bruce Wayne, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Bruce Wayne Has Problems, Charles Xavier Needs a Hug, Charles Xavier in a Wheelchair, Cliche, Clueless Ace Babies, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Has Feelings, Damian Wayne Has Good Friends, Damian Wayne Has a Support System, Damian Wayne Loves His Mother, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne is Robin, Damian Wayne is a Little Shit, Damian Wayne loves his friends, Dick Grayson is Nightwing, Don't Examine This Too Closely, F/F, F/M, Gods, Good Parent Ororo Munroe, Good Parent Ra's al Ghul, Good Parent Talia al Ghil, He's 11 Shut Up, High School, Honestly Charles What Are You Thinking, Human Experimentation, Hurt Dick Grayson, I Blame Tumblr, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Tried, I'm Going to Hell, Idiots in Love, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Has Issues, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Kurt Wagner Deserves Happiness, Kurt Wagner Speaks German, Kurt Wagner Tries, Kurt Wagner is a Good Friend, Kwami & Miraculous Lore, Kwamis Are Gods, Let Damian Wayne Be a Child 2021, M/M, Miraculous Side Effects, Precious Kurt Wagner, Protective Jason, Rare Pairings, Raven | Mystique is Kurt Wagner's Parent, Read by the Author, School Dances, Superheroes, Superpowers, Sweet Kurt Wagner, Talia al Ghul Has Sons Who Love Her, Talia al Ghul loves her son, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Tropes, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, clueless teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:20:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWingedTenshi/pseuds/BrokenWingedTenshi
Summary: Kurt thought his blue skin and unique mutations were a one in seven billion occurrence. That it was just him that was like this. However, vid view of the world is turned on its head when Charles Xavier brings an elf girl named Echo to the institute.Now it's up to Kurt to help her rescue the rest of their people from a government facility in Alaska. And maybe, just maybe he'll learn a bit about himself from this stranger who's suddenly a very big part of his life.And if while doing that, he somehow manages to get a girlfriend, a whole new family and a better understanding of just how he came to be? Well, that'd be helpful too. Though, maybe not necessarily in that order.
Relationships: Damian Wayne & Jonathan Kent & Manon Chamack, Garfield Logan/Echo Summers, Garfield Logan/Original Female Character(s), Lance Alvers/Chloé Bourgeois, Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Kurt Wagner, Ra's al Ghul/ Ororo Munroe, Rogue/Jason Todd, Talia al Ghul & Damian Wayne & Garfield Logan & Jason Todd & Kurt Wagner
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Elf! Ask And It'll Be Passed To Ya...

The Xavier Institute was quiet . . . Not!

It was breakfast time on a Saturday, which meant that in the large dining room, most of the inhabitants of the school were sitting at the long table. Conversation was loud, but there was laughter everywhere and the atmosphere was light. This was the scene that Charles Xavier arrived to see. A soft smile slid across his lips, and he gestured for the girl behind him to take a look.

Her face was shadowed by the large hood she wore, and her eyes darted around. Hopefully she would settle, but for the moment he just gestured to the breakfast table as he wheeled to his seat.

"Please, help yourself."

She bounded off, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Charles sighed softly, knowing someone was going to comment. But at least it would be a nice segway into introductions, so he didn't stress over it too much. The girl who'd followed him in hung upside down from the chandelier, reaching for the sausages. Logan, who spotted fingers reaching for the platter, slammed it shut and shouted.

"ELF!"

She squeaked and withdrew her hand, holding it to her as she ported back to hide behind Charles' wheelchair. At the same time, Kurt Wagner, who was sitting across from Logan and a few seats to the left and had been considering doing the same thing, jumped.

"How many times do I gotta tell ya, ask and it'll be passed to ya!"

Kurt arched a brow, tilting his head to one side.

"But I didn't even do anything yet! I've been in my seat this whole time."

"Then who-"

Charles cleared his throat, gaining the attention of those at the table. Conversations quieted and then ceased as all eyes turned to the headmaster of their unusual school.

"That misunderstanding would be my fault. I did tell her to go ahead and get some breakfast."

Logan's brows furrowed.

". . . Her who?"

Peering from behind Charles' chair, a girl waved tentatively. She stood, though it was hesitant, biting her lip and pushing down the hood of her jacket. Her skin, or rather fur, was covered in swirls of red and blue, ears pointed and hair midnight black. Her eyes were an emerald green, and a spade tipped tail swayed sheepishly behind her.

"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you."

Most of the table stares in shock, and she looks around before her eyes zero in on Kurt and she disappears once again in a puff of smoke. When she reappears, she is crouched on the table in front of him, leaning very much into his personal space. Her nose twitches a few times, and her eyes widen.

"You're really a blue!"

Kurt blinks at this stranger a few times, arching a brow.

"Yes, I know that I am blue."

She shakes her head.

"No, you're _ **A**_ blue. One of many. Or . . . What used to be many."

And Kurt just stares at her for a minute because she can't be serious! But she must be, she's just like him. She's a teleporter with colorful fur and pointed ears, and he didn't notice before but he notes now that she has four fingers and when they come into contact with his forehead suddenly he isn't sitting at the table anymore. He's in a village filled with elves. Red, blue, green, purple and swirls of the four on people who look just like him. And then suddenly there's fire and the smell of smoke and he's being carried away but the fact that he's safe will never erase the sound of hopeless screams from his ears. And then he's back at breakfast and staring up into eyes so green it hurts to look at them.

"Who _are_ you? And what was _that_?"

The girl tilts her head to one side. She looks a little confused, but she answered him nonetheless.

"I am Echo. And that was dream fasting. I can show you my memories because you are Eins Mit Der Natur- One With Nature. Like me. Like the rest."

Charles spoke up from the head of the table.

"The rest?"

She girl turned swiftly, standing upright and walking across the table, lithe and graceful.

"Yes, the rest. My people were attacked. Many were killed. Yet what remains of us have been captured by your government. Where they were taken I do not know."

Kurt's brows furrowed.

"Couldn't you do that dream fasting thing with them to find out?"

She looked back at him, brows furrowing as well in a bear perfect mirror.

"No . . . I must be physically touching to dream fast on purpose, and I cannot show what I see in real time. None of us can. And dream fasting across any distance is far more complicated than when you are touching."

She pursed her lips, before asking what was bothering her.

"Did your parents not teach you this?"

Kurt bristled, getting sympathetic looks he hated from around the table.

"I was raised by ordinary humans. And even even I speak with her, my mother is no help."

Echo tilted her head, as though she were listening to something far off

"And your father?"

Kurt pursed his lips.

"I have never met him. Besides, he may not even be . . . Like me."

She chuckled softly, crouching again and crawling over to lift his chin up with two of her fingers.

"Silly boy. You cannot get a full blue with anything other than two full blues. It is not possible. Your fur would look like mine!"

He arched a brow.

"What about with a human?"

Echo just shook her head.

"It would not work. Women who are Natur Geliebt are infertile with human men. However, the reverse is true for the males. A make blue and a human female are extremely likely to conceive. However, their child will not be a full blue. Half the fur loses pigment as the child grows."

Kurt just sighed. At the head of the table, Charles Xavier rubbed a hand over his face.

"Echo, please get off the table. Take a seat. After breakfast, we will discuss all. Your people, your connection to Kurt, everything. For now, let's just have breakfast."

She frowned, but ported off the table. She supposed breakfast couldn't hurt. 


	2. "It's Just An Intro Scott."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Echo never liked hiding. But here she is.

Echo was sure this place was good- or tried its very best. The people seemed happy enough, and they used their powers so casually. At least, most of them did. She assumed some mutations were a little more dangerous. All in all though, this place reminded her of her home before the fires. Peaceful, playful and whole. She liked it.

This was why she didn't question why she was following the professor to his office, the blue boy following closely, as well as the man who had yelled at her and a woman with white hair. She didn't mind their presence much. They weren't openly hostile toward her, and the professor and the boy seemed to be at ease.

The professor's office was about what she'd expected. Very Dark Academia. Darker colors but the feeling of the room was comfortable. She couldn't say she minded it. So when she took a seat in front of the desk beside the blue, the professor on the other side, she didn't question the voice sounding in her head.

_'Will you show me what happened to your people?'_

So she did. Not just what she'd shown the blue, but the way her people went from happy and free to restricted in even the most basic of things. The way humans sought to control them. The way they tried to fight it . . . The way her best friend and her father were killed before her eyes and her mother and siblings were taken. She had just barely escaped, and she had run fast and far, porting over obstacles and through crowds. And she didn't notice she was crying until a hand brushed gently over her face, wiping away her tears.

"Hey, hey it's alright. Everything is going to be okay."

The blue boy knelt in front of her, watching her with concern. She didn't really know what to say, so she blurted out-

"I never did get your name."

The slight purple in her cheeks showed her embarrassment, and he just gave a soft smile.

"Kurt Wagner."

She mumbled a few unintelligible words under her breath, much to the amusement of the professor and the woman who perched herself on his desk. Echo shook her head, a soft huff leaving her.

"I am sorry you have to see me this way. I do not know how you came to be here, but you are Eins Mit Der Natur, or you would not have been able to receive a dreamfast. Which means that you are one of my people, and I am sorry you had to find that out this way."

Kurt sighed softly.

"It is not ideal, but it is good to know that I am not alone. My mother is blue too, but she does not teleport."

Echo just shook her head again.

"No, I did not think she would. It is extremely rare. More often our people shapeshift to commune with the animals, or control plant life. It is not common to be able to teleport."

Kurt blinked a few times, then let out a sheepish chuckle.

"So even among people like me I'm a freak."

Her brows furrowed, and she took his hands.

"Look at me . . . You are not a freak. You are one of us. You are so deeply ingrained into the fabric of this world, and it will protect you with everything it has. I know you do not know of our people as I do . . . But you are no freak Kurt Wagner."

He didn't think the sound of his name had ever had ever given him so much hope.

~~~~~

Echo had been assured by the professor the night before that he and the X-Men would do everything in their power to help her people. But in the meantime, she was to stay with them and blend in. Which, unfortunately, meant that she had to attend Bayville High School with an image inducer strapped to her wrist to make her look human.

It rubbed her the wrong way, and she made it extremely obvious. She wore a purple crop top, a black jacket with a grey drawstring hood, a pair of black leather shorts and ombre black and purple fishnet tights. High heeled black leather boots covered her feet, hair swaying around her in a long curtain. Her tail twitched in agitation as she switched on the device around her wrist, giving her the illusion of pale skin and five fingers.

Overrated, she decided. Rolling her eyes, she headed for the door, pulling her black messenger bag over the shoulder. She'd never been a fan of pretending. Especially in regards to her looks. She was proud of who she was and what she looked like. Why should she have to hide? But the professor insisted, and he had promised to help her. So she acquiesced. No matter how much she didn't like it. So she let Scott Summers drive her to school, hopping out and strutting off. She didn't have a last name, so the professor insisted she pose as Scott's younger sister. And she was fine with acting like it, but she was angry right then.

Still, the principal was obliging and gave her the class schedule with 'Summers, Echo' written across the top. Her locker number and code were on the paper too, so she stored her back there and just carried her books in one arm, twirling a pen between her fingers in the other. There were rules about cell phones, but she didn't have one, so she ignored them.

Her first few classes were boring. Right up until she had one with Lance Alvers and Jason Todd. Both struck her as the masculine type, and the seated themselves on either side of her. As in every other class, the teacher asked her to stand and give an introduction. Rolling her eyes, she stood and faced the class from her seat in the back.

"Echo Summers. Don't bug me and you'll leave in the same condition you arrived in."

She sat back down gracefully, and Jason and Lance seemed even more interested in her. The teacher sputtered a few times.

"Was that a threat?"

Echo just grinned, arching a brow in challenge.

"Of course not. Mister Grayson. When did I say anything threatening?"

Unfortunately for her, she had just cemented herself at the top of her seat mates' interest lists. They decided as much as soon as Richard Grayson sent her to the principal's office fourth period on her first day.

~~~~~

Miss Darkholme didn't seem to mind her introduction mishap very much, and let her off with a warning, much to the surprise of the boy sitting outside. He looked slimy, and Echo made sure to give him a wide berth. She'd already missed almost all of fourth period, and mentally resigned herself to sitting through the next one with minimal trouble. Which was all well and good, until Lance sat next to her. She studiously ignored him all period, and ignored him **and** Jason when they asked her to sit with them at lunch.

The cafeteria was just about full when she arrived, and Kurt waved her over. She offered a small smile, getting her lunch and heading for the table. Except for the fact that a big behemoth and his buddies got in her way. He was blonde, and wearing a varsity jacket, and she just arched a brow at him.

"And just who are you supposed to be? The bouncer?"

His buddies muffled their snickers, and she waited for him to spit out whatever it was he wanted.

"Actually, I'm Duncan Matthews. Quarterback for the football team and guy of every high school girl's dreams."

Echo just rolled her eyes.

"Ah, so the resident narcissist who thinks he's god's gift to women while simultaneously being the most annoying person any woman has ever met. Good to know. Now if you'll excuse me-"

He went to grab her arm as she was passing him, but his hand was caught by another. They both turned to find Scott Summers.

"Everything alright here?"

The blonde scoffed.

"Just fine Summers. Teaching the new girl the ropes. Not that it's any of your business."

Scott just turned to her, and she huffed softly.

"Just an intro Scott. He's just pissy cuz I told him off. Can we go now? Cafeteria food obviously isn't going to get any better by letting it get cold."

Scott let go of Duncan's hand and set an arm behind her back to guide her gently. Duncan scoffed behind them.

"What, she your girlfriend or something?"

Echo looked back with a smirk.

"His little sister actually."

The look on his face would make her crack a smile every time she thought about it for the next month.

~~~~~

An uneventful lunch period later, Echo was sitting back in Mr. Grayson's classroom, in her same seat as that morning. Unfortunately, that meant being boxed in by leather wearing machine junkies if the smell of oil and exhaust meant anything. Not that it was a bad thing, but she really just wanted a quiet rest of the day. Of course that couldn't happen.

Which meant that some girl tried to intimidate her when she went to the bathroom only to leave crying, both Jason and Lance offered her a ride home only to balk at her joining up with Scott and Jean and actually smile, and Duncan grabbed her and tried to drag her away only to be smacked across the face by an angry Jean Grey, who then had to be pulled to the car by Echo while Scott gave the guy a talking to. She was getting really sick of people thinking she couldn't take care of herself.

~~~~~

In her frustration over the day, Echo had asked Kurt to come on a walk with her after dinner. He didn't seem to mind, and let her rant about her day until she was less angry. Which was when he started cracking jokes. All in all, she was feeling better. Which was the universal sign that something was up.

A scuffle was heard up on the roof of the alley there were passing. So, like the concerned citizens the were, they ported up and ducked behind an old sir conditioning unit.

"Look, I know it's frustrating but we need to keep a low profile."

"It's _**frustrating**_? I haven't left the hotel room in three weeks dude! It's stifling! It's depressing! It sucks!"

"I know Gar, but green skin isn't exactly low profile."

Echo made a little noise, and Kurt put a hand over her mouth. Their eyes widened when the voices stopped.

" . . . Who's there?"

The voice was familiar, though neither could place it. They started backing up on all fours, only to run into something. They were both grabbed, and Echo reflexively ducked and kicked out. A muffled groan followed, and Kurt dragged her off towards the side of the building. She could hear him in her mind, see what he wanted. They would jump off and then port a few streets away and make their way back to the institute.

Just at they reached the edge, a voice called out to them.

"Wait!"

She looked back at they jumped, gasping when she saw the boy with green skin . . . And her history teacher Mr. Grayson.


	3. "Fly on the wall. Neat trick-"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few new friendships are struck. Echo was never very good with people, but maybe she just hadn't known the right ones.

The next day at school, Echo decided at the end of first period, was hell. She and Kurt had stayed up half the night brainstorming what they'd seen and what it might mean. That boy had been stuck in a hotel room for three weeks? Why? And what connection did he have to their (what she'd learned was temporary) history teacher?

Well, the late night didn't do them much good, because they had yet to figure anything out. But it did mean they were both dead on their feet at school. Kurt was still fairly chipper, but Echo was even more irritable than the day before, green eyes full with lack of sleep. It was so bad she'd fallen asleep in her fourth period history class. But it didn't feel like regular sleep. She was seeing things- but Echo didn't dream. So what-

Oh . . . Oh! There was another of her kind nearby! This wasn't Kurt, she was teaching Kurt the ways of their people, and knew his mental signature well enough to recognize that this was not it. What she saw was strange though, because she was seeing the classroom. And herself- . . . Asleep on the desk. She could only guess what she was projecting back because she wasn't consciously making the link. She watched as the sight changed, heading towards the door and down the hall, into the boys bathroom.

She jolted awake to the feeling of water in her hair and down her back. A blonde girl stood in front of her with a vicious grin, holding her water bottle upside down.

"Oops. Terribly sorry, but you really should pay more attention."

Echo snorted, pushing her wet hair back in a way she knew was attractive, smug, confident expression on her face. Her eyes were half lidded, and with her waterproof makeup still perfect, she arched a brow.

"Really? You're telling me what _I should do_ while wearing those boots with that top? Bad idea sweetie. Take your pathetic power plays somewhere else."

Standing from her seat, still calm and collected she looked to the teacher.

"Mister Grayson, I'm going to the restroom to dry off some of this water. As good as I look, I don't think you want to see it when the water soaks through this top."

He waved a hand, rolling his eyes.

"Go on Miss Summers. Hurry back when you're dry."

She just shrugged, bumping the blonde's shoulder on her way out, shoulders back and head held high, knowing she did, in fact, look very attractive even with the image inducer. That too was waterproof, thankfully. She headed to the boys bathroom she'd seen in the vision, hoping it was empty but knowing she could play it off if it wasn't.

Thankfully, all the stalls were open but one, and there was no one else anywhere in sight. She headed to the closed stall, clearing her throat.

"You can come out of there. I know what just happened."

The door eased open a crack, and an eye peeked around the door.

"How?"

She arched a brow.

"Because I was the one looking through your eyes . . You shapeshift?"

A hesitant nod. She nodded back, a soft hum leaving her.

"Figured as much. Fly on the wall. Neat trick- I don't know anyone who can shift that small."

He seemed to make a decision then, pulling the door open to show bright, curious eyes in a green face. He smiled at her.

"You know other shapeshifters?"

She grinned back.

"I grew up with shapeshifters. It was my father's power."

He seemed quite impressed, and she stiffened at the sound of footsteps.

"Meet me in the chemistry lab at lunch. Somebody's coming."

She watched as he morphed back into a fly, whispering a quite "Awesome" before porting into the girls restroom and actually starting to dry herself off. By the time she left the room, she had just enough time to grab her things before the bell for fifth period. Which, unfortunately, was chemistry, and she had it with Lance. But her mood was better, so she thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad. 

He sat next to her in the back of the room, sliding a piece of paper across the table. Brows furrowing in confusion, she opened it up and melted a little.

' _Are you ok? Check yes or no.'_

She picked up a pencil and checked yes, writing a little bit in return.

**'I'm fine. That girl is just upset because I told her I didn't care who she had 'dibs' on yesterday and would do what I want. She wants to establish dominance she doesn't have.'**

She slipped the note back across the table and watched Lance read it behind his book, holding his hand to his mouth to hide his smile. She thought he looked quite handsome when he smiled. He scribbled a little more and passed it back.

' _Glad you're alright. It was funny as hell watching her sputter and march off back to her seat in class. Thanks for the entertainment.'_

She stifled a very unladylike snort when she read it. The rest of the period went by quickly, passing notes with Lance.

' **You're Welcome. :)'**

_'Come with with us at lunch?'_

**'I actually have plans today . . . But I'm free tomorrow if that works?'**

_'Yeah, that works. Good luck with whatever it is.'_

**'Thanks! So, what's the deal with you and Jason? And why do you both smell like motor oil all the time?'**

_'That's a funny story actually ;)'_

And so on and so forth until the lunch bell rang. Echo and Lance were the last ones out, and she made sure the door didn't shut fully so her fly friend would be able to get it before she bid farewell to Lance.

"I actually gotta stop by my locker. I'll talk to you later."

She waved goodbye as he headed for the cafeteria, finding the she was smiling a little as she walked into the nearest bathroom to wait a few minutes before porting into the chemistry lab.

Time to get a few answers.

~~~~~

Garfield had never met anyone like him. So to be found out by someone who'd actually met people like him before was probably the luckiest thing to happen to him in a long time. He found the door cracked enough for him to fly through, which he assumed had been done purposefully. He slipped through the door easily and waited on one of the tables.

A few minutes and a puff of smoke later and the girl from earlier was standing a few rows away. He chuckled softly and shifted back to human form, perched on the desk.

"Hey."

She grinned, and he couldn't help but think she looked really pretty with a smile.

"Hi. I'm Echo. What's your name?"

He hopped down and extended a hand, noting that she was about his height in her heeled shoes. And she was pretty cute too.

"Garfield Logan. Can I just ask . . . Where did you come from?"

She chuckled softly, shaking his hand in her own warm one. Though, it felt off. Not like a regular hand, though it sure looked like one. He shot her a strange look, and her grin widened.

"Well-" She pressed a button on her watch, image flickering before it settled. The same girl was standing there, but she looked different. Pale skin had been replaced with red and blue swirled fur though her outfit remained the same, and she had a tail. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "-that's a loaded question, and we have a limited amount of time. Mister Grayson doesn't know you're here, does he?"

Gar shook his head.

"Then I'll give you the abbreviated version."

Turns out the abbreviated version was her showing him the answer instead of telling him, images flashing through his mind and feeling familiar, as though he'd been there before. The feeling made his heart ache, and before long he'd agreed to meet her and a friend after school.

This was sure to be interesting.

~~~~~

The bell rang and Echo hadn't touched on nearly as many subjects and she'd wanted to. She invited Gar to the institute after school, and he agreed. What he didn't know was that she didn't intend to give him back. Whether or not he was one of her people (he had cast sufficient doubt, but his reaction to her home said differently), she had already mentally claimed him. He was one of hers.

She was familiar with the feeling. People from her village would form groups called packs, not unlike animals. They would often live with their packs once they reached maturity. At which point each of the pack members received a role and they began to adjust to been a group. These packs ranged from groups with very strong bonds of friendship, to large romantic relationships, to family groups. She wasn't sure which category her pack would fall under but she _was_ sure of one thing. Kurt and Garfield were members of it. And she was going to keep them safe. The first step of which was to get Gar out of that hotel room and see if the Professor had one more image inducer.

Her second history period was all well and good. The boys shot her worried looks every now and again while she fidgeted at her desk, but she didn't particularly care. She had things to do. Not least of which was figuring out how to get and keep Gar away from her history teacher.

~~~~~

The end of school came soon enough and Gar, in fly form, stowed away in Scott's car with them. She kept her hands cupped around him to keep him from blowing away, though it got her some strange looks from Kurt. Of course, the second they stopped in front of the institute she scooped Gar up in one hand and grabbed Kurt with the other, porting all three of them to the Professor's office.

Gar fell out of her hand and shifted back to human form just before he hit the ground, laying on his back with a dramatic groan.

"Dude, warn a guy next time Echo, I'm pretty sure my stomach just turned inside out."

She chuckled at his over dramatic tendencies, throwing an arm around her slack jawed friend.

"Kurt, this is Garfield Logan. Gar, this is Kurt Wagner. Kurt is teleporter like me. Most people like us are shapeshifters or control plant life, so we're kind of the odd ones out."

She held out a hand, and Garfield took it, pulling himself up as the Professor rolled in in his wheelchair.

"Echo, you called?"

She grinned widely, and the professor was taken aback. He'd never seen the expression on her face before.

"Say, Professor, any chance you've got one more image inducer lying around?"

Looking to the boy next to her, the professor just sighed.

Two days later Garfield Logan was enrolled at Bayville High School, riding to school with Scott, Jean, Kurt and Echo. The Professor had ever requested a change in schedule for the boys so that they could join her in her history periods. 

The look on their history teacher's face when he saw them all walk in together would have then rolling when they returned to the Institute.


	4. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave-"

Anne Marie didn't know why, but suddenly there were two more people just like Kurt running around. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The girl, Echo- . . . Well, she was a little like her. She wasn't too fond of people she didn't know, and even those she did she would only stay around for a certain amount of time before she needed a break. She dressed in a way that warned people away from getting into her business, and she didn't care what anyone thought of her.

The boy was more like Kurt. He liked to make people smile. He cracked jokes and used himself as the punch line. He liked to be surrounded by people, one of the crowd. She thought it might be because he had a need to fit in. Perhaps it was that Echo just didn't have that need that made she and the boys fundamentally different. And perhaps that was why, when she ran across Rogue in the library, Rogue didn't move. Actually, they ended up sitting fairly close. The silence didn't seem to bother either of them, and for a long while they sat in companionable silence, reading their books.

At least, until Kurt and Garfield found their way in. They had apparently been looking for Echo, who smiled fondly, if tiredly. Rogue rolled her eyes, leaning over the table towards the other girl.

"Ya gotta love them. But it's okay to need a break every now and then too sugar."

Echo seemed a bit surprised, but her tired eyes sparked with a bit of mischief, and Rogue found that they were beautiful. The elven girl held her hand out.

"Care to get out of here?"

Rogue took it, careful not to touch her skin.

"You read my mind."

By the time the boys looked back over from where they'd been playfully bickering, the girls were long gone.

~~~~~

"Wait seriously?"

Echo giggled into her hand, the girl across from her grinning smugly.

"I wouldn't lie about this. He ported right into Spike's room looking for his shampoo, tripped over his skateboard, ported on instinct while he was falling and smashed the kitchen table."

Echo doubled over, laughter falling from her lips. When she sat back up, she was wiping a tear from her eye.

"Thank you Anne. I really needed this."

Rogue stalled a little.

" . . . You called me by my name."

Echo tilted her head to one side, confusion spreading across her features.

"Well yeah. People don't just call you Rogue all the time . . . Do they?"

The silence was enough of an answer. Echo set a hand on her shoulder and ported them away again, leaving Rogue sitting on the girl's bed as she rummaged through a drawer. She withdrew a sparkling silver bracelet inlaid with green stones, offering it to Rogue.

"What? I can't take that."

Echo looked over, brows furrowing and lips pursing.

"You can and you will."

Rogue couldn't seem to figure her out. So she asked the question she wanted the answer to the most.

" . . . Why?"

Echo's expression turned soft as she knelt down, clasping the bracelet around the older girl's wrist. It had a finality about it.

"How else will people know you're a part of my pack?"

Pack? The girl seemed to understand the unspoken question.

"My family."

Rogue stalled a bit. Family? No one had referred to her as family in a long time. The concept was almost unfamiliar. Still, she gave a little smile.

" . . . Okay."

Echo grinned back.

"Okay."

~~~~~

Kurt and Garfield had no idea what happened, but soon Rogue was included in everything they did as a group. Which wasn't to say that was a bad thing. Kurt had always felt terrible about the way everyone seemed to give her a wide berth, but hadn't known how to take the first steps into changing that. Apparently, Echo had. And she'd taken the first steps into including Rogue in their lives.

Having his sister with them was a step in the right direction. It felt like that were all starting to learn each other. Often they moved to accommodate each other without ever needing to speak. Echo said most packs developed that skill, but not so fast. She thought that maybe it was that they'd all had messed up family lives, and they needed to fill that space emotionally.

Not that he could disagree with her. From what he'd gathered, Echo had so many siblings her family forgot she existed. Gar had been shot up with a drug that had saved his life but mutated his DNA and then been forced into hiding for years by a mad scientist. And Rogue had been isolated her whole life by Mystique, his birth mother and Irene, the woman who had taken care of Rogue. She'd never really gotten much affection, let alone actually had a family she could turn to when she needed them. As for himself, Kurt had been loved by his adoptive parents but unable to even step outside without being covered from head to toe. Later, he'd met his birth mother, who wasn't really any kind of mother and had given his adopted sister a pretty shitty life. So perhaps Echo was right in thinking that their messed up family lives had led them through this adjustment period at an accelerated rate. But he couldn't say he minded it all that much.

Once Rogue had joined them, they had gone from riding with Scott and Jean to taking another form of transportation. The Professor had gifted them a jeep (always driven by Echo or Rogue), because Scott had complained about the lack of space in his car. Which was perfectly fine with them. They preferred this way anyways. There were certain things that, as much as they adores Scott and Jean, they just couldn't talk about in front of them.

It startled people to see how quickly they'd become attached to one another, but this was just how they were now. Not that they'd have it any other way.

~~~~~

Somehow, that Echo girl had brainwashed Gar. She had kidnapped him, and she had brainwashed him. Because why else wouldn't be come back to the hotel? Why else would he walk around with she and that Kurt kid like they'd been best friends their whole lives. She had to have brainwashed him. Which meant that Dick had to hold a rescue mission.

What he did not count on when they'd broken into this place was for so many people to live here. So now, here he stood, frozen from the waist down with Jason in much the same state a few steps behind him and a sniggering Gar, Kurt and Echo and another girl smiling fondly at them behind the kid who had caught them.

"Hey, we didn't do anything wrong!"

A man in a wheelchair sighed as he rolled in, stopping right in front of Dick.

"Unfortunately Mister Grayson, that's not entirely true. You came onto private property and you're currently breaking and entering as well as trespassing."

Dick grit his teeth.

"Look, just give us Garfield back, and we'll be on our way."

The man in the chair turned back to look at Gar.

"Garfield? Would you like to go with these people?"

Gar just grinned, throwing up a peace sign.

"Nah, I'm good Professor."

This "Professor" turned back to him and shrugged.

"Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Echo had never seen a half frozen man manage to look so affronted before. It was quite amusing. Shame she didn't have a camera.

The sound of a shutter caught her attention, and she turned to Gar to see him pointing his phone in the direction of said half frozen man. She really needed to get one of those.

The professor addressed Jason next.

"And you young man? What did you come here for?"

He looked to his brother, looked back at the professor and grinned impishly.

"I was dragged here by this doofus, so I actually have no idea. I stopped listening after 'We're following Garfield' and figured I'd just see if Echo was here. Wherever here is. I wanted to talk to her."

The Professor looked back to the elves and Rogue, who all looked around at each other and then shrugged. He turned his eyes back to the younger of the intruders.

" . . . Airtight, they don't seem to be against you. I'll allow it. But your accomplice has to go."

Jason grinned wider.

"He's actually my older brother, but I couldn't agree more."

Huh- he should really ask Echo how many more people she planned to emotionally claim as her own. For the moment, he just sent a mental message to Ororo to prepare another bedroom near the pack in case their guest wanted to stay the night. He was sure they'd be needing it sometime soon.


	5. Six Months Of Audacity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory High School Shenanigans

After the night where Jason had stayed behind while Dick was sent back to their hotel room, Dick was on his own where anyone from the Xavier Institute was concerned. He has no backup from even his own brother. Whatever that Echo girl was using to put these people under her spell it was strong. Maybe he'd ask Raven for help.

If he could get past Starfire anyways. She thought he was just being paranoid. She said that it was good for Gar to be able to experience normal high school life. But Garfield wasn't normal. And high school was way overrated. He was doing him a favor trying to get him out of there . . . Right?

~~~~~

So maybe, Echo mused, humans were a little more different from her people than she'd thought. Normally, a girl in her position would be constantly challenged by other females. But she had yet to meet a serious rival. And the males seemed to choose their females just as much as the female chose them as opposed to females choosing a male and fighting off any others who were interested until she mated the male. Usually winning the fights, proving she could protect any future children was enough.

The female would then mate the male, at which point he would prove his worth as a mate for the right to have her produce his offspring. He would present her with food and make her a comfortable nest, making sure their home was well hidden. Completed mate pairs were bonded for life and also free to pursue more mates. This was usually how romantic packs formed until all involved were satisfied with the size of their family and the relationships therein.

Somehow, humans were of a completely different mindset. They usually cohabitated only in pairs if their attachment was romantic, and had only one romantic relationship at a time. If the relationship was unsatisfactory to one party, they broke off that relationship. And if that was the case they then sought out a new single partner relationship until they were satisfied and their new partner was satisfied. At which point they would decide whether or not to procreate. 

In basic terms, it made absolutely no practical sense. At least, not to her. And when she said as much to Kurt and Rogue one night while watching what they called a Disney movie, which she was unfamiliar with and not terribly amused by, she was met with confusion. And when she explained how cohabitation worked with her people, they looked even more confused. But it made perfect sense in her mind. 

The problem with that was, the reason all this had come about was that Echo had gotten into a fight. A girl at school had flirted with Gar, and once she'd been alone with the girl she gave her a black eye, a fat lip and a warning to stay away before anyone was the wiser.

Except for Kurt, who she accidentally dreamfasted the experience to that night while they practiced. Rogue couldn't do it unless she absorbed one of them, which was fine. They gave her a new dose from one of them every couple of days. And it wasn't like it bothered any of them. But she didn't practice with them because with Echo's memories, it was second nature to her when she could use the ability.

So Echo had to sit through a scolding from what was essentially her pseudo brother, then hear about herself some more the next day when Jean snooped through her head and ratted to the Professor. Of course, she then gave Jean a talking to about personal boundaries. Once she found that the redhead was sufficiently chastised, she had gone about the private freak out session that had been brewing for the last twenty-four hours.

How the hell was she supposed to make a boy like her in human custom!? This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

~~~~~

Ah yes, one of the staples of high school life. A school dance. The stress of finding a date, the risk of going alone if you couldn't, the absolute horror show that was finding a suitable dress. What ever teenager thinks about.

One would be hard pressed to find teenagers who didn't think about a school dance at all. Echo had been asked by several boys, but she'd turned them all down with brutal honesty if they asked why. Aside from the occasional wistful 'what if' she hadn't truly considered the dance.

Rogue had already found a dress, and was planning how to ask the boy she'd been thinking about for several weeks now. A boy she'd gotten close to as he spent more time around the institute. Someone she hardly knew but felt like she'd known her whole life. She wanted to explore these things, even if her powers meant she could never get very far. She was learning control with help from her pack, but she still had a long way to go.

Kurt had decided he would rather ignore the dance as a whole, but Kitty had basically told him they were going together. Rogue and Echo weren't exactly going to let him back out of it, and if they even caught wind he'd tried he feared for his life. So dancing with Kitty it was. Hopefully it would be bearable. Unlike the last time he'd been alone with Kitty and she'd just talked about some boy for almost an hour.

Garfield- . . . Well, for starters he had a date. He would've asked Echo or Rogue, but Echo had turned down every guy to approach her with no mercy and he was really rooting for Rogue to get the date she wanted. So both were a no go. So he ended up going with some random girl from his calculus class. She was bearable, if shallow. She only liked him because of the way he looked- and that wasn't even real. So why should he care about her opinion? The point was that he wasn't going alone, and he'd look classy dressed in his suit.

All this was all well and good, until the pack, consisting of Kurt, Gar, Echo, Rogue, Jason and Lance (who was going alone and just wanted to watch all the love life drama play out), gathered to talk about their plans. The boys had already gotten their suits and the girls their dresses. Kurt was going with Kitty and he was actually starting to look forward to it. Rogue didn't have a date and had given up on mustering the courage to change the fact. Echo was going alone, though she looked disappointed about it and said the right guy just hadn't asked her. Now it was too late and he had a date. To which Jason proposed they go together and make fun of all the couples. With a nod from Rogue, Echo hesitantly agreed. Which left Rogue and Lance, who decided they would still go alone.

Soon enough, the day of the dance came. And even though the girls weren't going with the people they'd wanted to and the night probably wasn't going to go the way they'd envisioned, they still made the effort to look good. And look good they did. With Rogue in a spaghetti strap floor length red dress with a slit up one leg and matching heels, hair elongated to just past midback (growing it out for six months would do that to a girl) and Echo dressed in a green knee length number that separated in the middle to show off her toned midriff and hugging her curves, heels and a clutch purse to match, they were ready to make jaws drop.

And make jaws drop they did, Jason escorted them both in, one girl on each arm looking drop dead gorgeous. Both had long hair that framed their faces just right, killer figures, beautiful dresses, stunning makeup and eyeliner sharp enough to kill a man. Jason himself was dressed to the nines in an impeccably perfect suit that was just close enough to show his muscular build without seeming like he was showing off. Artfully messy dark hair with one shock of white matched Rogue's, though his pocket square matched Echo's dress. (He had refused to wear a tie, not that either girl minded.)

Rogue stuck with the pair for most of the night, to the point where Jason danced just as many songs with Rogue as he did with Echo. And that was fine by them. Rogue was happy to be whisked away for a dance to slow music where she could lay against his chest and listen to the steady beat of his heart while he held her close. And Echo was content to let Rogue dance with her crush while she watched Garfield smile and laugh across the room . . . With another girl.

By the time Jason and Rogue came off the dance floor, practically glowing with happiness, Echo was dampening the area around her with her mood. With the two moods in stark contrast, the elf scrubbed away the moisture forming in her eyes and cleared her throat so her voice wouldn't wobble.

"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling very well. I think you two should stay, but I'm gonna head back to the institute. I thought I could handle this but I just . . . I just can't."

Rogue glanced to where the other girl was latched onto Garfield's arm like she belonged there. And while Garfield looked uncomfortable, he didn't push her off. Rogue assumed it was because he'd asked her here and he was too nice to embarrass her by pushing her off. Still, it had to be upsetting to watch. When Echo and Jason had danced they had just done so in the comfortable way that only best friends can. Cracking jokes and giving friendly smiles. They checked on her even while they danced together. 

They acted in such a way that they could be brother and sister. No one would mistake whatever feelings they shared as romantic. No one could. They made it so glaringly obvious. And it almost made her want to cry the way they were so worried about her. The way they checked in even while they laughed and played, dancing with an ease and a grace that put everyone around them to shame. How she wished she were so graceful. So effortlessly, maddeningly, heart breakingly beautiful.

"Echo, you don't have to go. You don't have to let it bother you. It doesn't have to hurt." Jason's voice pulled her from her reverie, and she pursed her lips.

"The harpie knows exactly what she's doin' sugar. Jason's right. Somebody like that could never be as good as you. And if Gar can't see that yet than he's not worth your time or energy. We all know he could do way better than that she beast."

Echo cracked a small smile, but she still looked forlorn. It was heart breaking when she looked over again to find the object of her interest and the leech attached to his arm laughing. She shook her head, looking back to Jason and Rogue.

"No, it's better this way. There's not really anything I can do about it if that's what he wants. Besides, I don't have time for boys. This teenage fantasy was never going to last anyways. I have a mission I need to complete. People counting on me. I've already let them wait for far too long. I need to get back to the institute, I've got too much self respect to stand here and let myself be hurt over trivial things like love."

Jason and Rogue shared a look, and he shook his head. Turning back to Echo, he shrugged.

"You're probably right. I gotta get back too, I promised Logan I'd be back in time to help him out with a few things."

He held out a hand, and Rogue held one out to the elven girl too.

"Yeah, and this isn't really my scene. I'm more the garage band and pepperoni pizza type than fancy dresses and terrible music anyways. Let's get outta here E."

Echo teared up a little, but smiled- a real, genuine smile - and took their hands.

"Let's get out of here. I'll make hot cocoa. It's been a long night, and my feet are dying to get out of these shoes."

Jason rolled his eyes, moving to wedge his arm beneath her shoulder to support more of her weight.

"Why did you wear them then?"

Rogue copied the motion, feeling Echo squeeze her shoulder once, answering for her.

"The outfit needed that last touch to make it really pop. I swear, boys will never understand fashion."

Jason scoffed playfully.

"I don't think I want to."

It coaxed a giggle out of Echo. They would be alright, Rogue decided. She would make sure of it, if she had to rip every hair off that knock off barbie shaped leech by herself. 

~~~~~

Sighing softly, Rogue barely took note of the white puff of air that left her lips. Echo had just gone to bed, and Rogue had made her way up to the roof. The night was chilly, but she didn't mind much, though she shivered just a bit as she leaned against the railing. A jacket was draped over her shoulders, and she didn't need to look to see who it was.

"Thanks Jay."

He hummed softly, standing next to her and leaning forward on the chilled metal to blow out a frustrated huff.

" . . . I thought Gar was smarter than that."

Rogue chuckled softly, though there was little humor in it.

"Yeah . . . I think we all did."

Jason ran a hand back through his hair, the motion catching his companion's eye, if only for a moment before she turned back to the lights of the city outside the gates.

"He'll probably go to some lame after-party to feel normal, and then hitch a ride with someone coming this way. We probably shouldn't expect him till morning."

Rogue just shook her head.

"That poor girl."

He just sighed, body sagging a bit with the weight of disappointment.

"I'm sorry we ruined your night. You deserve to have a normal high school experience just as much as, if not more than Gar does. I know it can't have been easy to leave."

Rogue sat bolt upright, turning to him with surprise in her eyes.

" . . . You didn't ruin my night."

He seemed to doubt her, scoffing and looking out into the city.

"Yeah right."

"Really! You didn't! I mean . . . I got to spend time with you after all. So my night wasn't a loss at all.-"

He seemed to take a moment to register what she'd said, standing bolt upright as well and turning towards her. She just couldn't stop talking.

"I mean, not that I expect you to return the feeling at all. You absolutely don't have to, and I mean, who'd like a girl who can barely touch anyone without sapping their energy and everything special about them. And I totally could've picked a better time for this, I mean I definitely didn't plan this, it just kind of happened and I-"

Jason stepped forward, wrapped an arm around her waist, slid the other underneath her chin to lift her face and pressed his lips to hers. She squeaked softly, melting into his kiss and his arms. When he pulled away, he set a hand to his head and shook it, swaying a little.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think I used my powers-"

Jason chuckled, and she closed her mouth, the sound bringing a soft look to her face.

"You didn't. But you always make me dizzy."

And once again, she melted.

~~~~~

Echo had really thought her week couldn't get any worse. Not even her thoughts were safe from scrutiny, her crush took another girl to the dance, and she couldn't fit into her favorite jeans anymore. But at least she'd be about to help her people after this modern teenager masquerade. At least she still had a purpose, something to move towards.

That was what she thought. But as she was about to knock on the Professor's office door, she heard voices. They sounded serious, and she couldn't help but be curious. Sighing, she ported in behind the couch to hear the Professor putting down the phone.

"What did they say?"

That was Storm. What were they talking about.

"They still claim to know nothing. And while I've isolated the signal to Alaska . . . I'm afraid I can't get any closer. It's dangerous. To me and everyone there. And as far as a rescue goes . . . Ororo, we can't risk it. We're funded by the American government. To bite the hand that feeds us is to potentially condemn these children."

There was silence, and then a feminine sigh.

"And what are you going to tell the pack."

A heavy pause.

"For the time being? . . . Nothing."

Echo had heard enough. She ported out and began to rouse her packmates. Including Gar and Jean. It didn't even phase her that she found Jason in Rogue's room. This was bigger than their teenage love affair. Bigger than her heartache over Gar. Bigger than anything she could think of just then. And once they were gathered, she turned deadly serious.

" . . . The professor says he will not help to free my people. Which means that it's left to me . . . Me and whoever will join me."

Nods and agreements all around bought the faintest of smiles to her lips. Just as she opened her mouth to start the planning, a swirl of blue opened up over their table and spat out seven people clad in spandex. This was shaping up to be a very strange week.


	6. The Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter the solution to the Pack's problems

The group who'd fallen from the ceiling were dressed strangely. In costumes, with black domino masks that hid their eyes. Not that it bothered everyone, just the elves. But they were sensitive to magic, so that was to be expected. And even this wasn't too bad, they were just a bit drowsy. The leader of the strange group introduced herself as Ladybug- or Marinette out of the suit. They were asking for help but everyone was concerned for the elves, so the visitors dropped their transformations. 

There was Marinette in her black suit with the dark red thigh and bisep stripes, utility belt and the wings at her back. Her chest carried a proud dark red circle with five Ladybug spots, hair up in a ponytail with a red ribbon resembling antennae. As herself, she was dressed in ripped blue jeans and a white tank top, cream colored cardigan softening the look, as well as the two space buns sitting stop her head. The combat boots though, said she was still battle ready.

Next was Rotor Faux, or Nathaniel. He was a redhead with a creative streak and the power of illusion. His costume was cream colored, and quite fluffy. He also had a functional tail. But when he de-transformed he looked almost punk rock in black cargo pants and vest, a red t-shirt and a nose ring on the left side. He had a chain hanging from one of his pockets, which he stuffed his hands into and leaned against the wall. Still, he was quite friendly, despite his appearance. He'd fit in just fine.

Viperion was much the same, but his colors were gunmetal grey (like Ladybug's eyes) and turquoise (like his). He didn't have any piercings but he did have a turquoise dragon curling up one warm with water rippling outward around it. He informed them that Ladybug and Rotor Faux had worked together to design it for him. He was extremely proud, and it was amusing for everyone else to watch the two turn red.

Carapace was different, dark wash jeans, a graphic t-shirt from Rick and Morty and a black blazer made him look laid back, but professional. He had on a black snapback and a pair of matching glasses, a pair of sleek wireless headphones around his neck. Overall, he was very laid-back and just seemed to be here to aid his teammates.

Abeille, or Chloe, went from a black bodysuit like Ladybug's with honey gold stripes in the same places, a utility belt, a hexagon patterned crown across her chest and bee wings, the bases of which were touched by long black hair with a blonde braided crown to a full blonde in a white pants suit with a honey gold button up underneath and a matching purse. Sharp blue eyes looked them over carefully and she had marked all the exits mentally. A strategist then. They could work with that.

Anonymouse, or Manon, was only a little girl. Where her hero costume was a cute grey and pink ensemble, hair up in space buns and a jump rope around her wrist, mouse tail at her back, she obviously did her best not to look cute outside of her costume (at least for today). She had on a black biker jacket fitted perfectly to her ten year old form, a dark purple tunic top and black jeans. She wore combat boots like Marinette, and her chestnut hair was braided over one shoulder, black sunglasses perched atop her head. She was quiet, but every now and then she'd grin at one of them or giggle before remembering she was supposed to be being serious. Her teammates pretended not to notice, but their secret smiles said they knew.

Minuit Noir went from a leather bodysuit with a utility belt, fully functioning tail and collapsed bo-staff sitting at his left hip. His de-transformation was less flashy than the others, the light less blinding as he was left in navy slacks and vest with a white button up underneath and a black tie cinched at his neck he introduced himself as Felix.

Once the pack had introduced themselves as well, it was time to get into the reason they were there. Well, thought Echo, this should be an interesting story.

~~~~~

Marinette remembered the day she met Ra's al Ghul like it was yesterday, though it had been a while since then. When she was twelve, going on thirteen she was given the Ladybug Miraculous with no training, no mentor, and no way out. She was thrown into a war with a magical artifact and a small deity who had been trapped for centuries in a pair of magic earrings. But what could go wrong, right? That was when Ra's had walked into her life.

Posing as her foreign language tutor (he did teach her how to tap into the past knowledge of the former Ladybug holders, foreign language skills came with her progress in that skill), he had taught her many amazing things. Chat had floundered while Ladybug thrived, learning new things she could do with her miraculous and how she could advance. With him staying stagnant and her improving so quickly, people had to wonder why Chat was the one who slacked off and acted like he was Ladybug's better.

Ra's didn't trust Chat, and he didn't trust the guardian either. Marinette had been Ladybug for a year already when they met and had started their arrangement. She had been training on her own and surpassed Chat's level of mediocre skill even before beginning her lessons with the Head of the Demon, whatever that meant. She didn't really learn more about him until she had a permanent team.

Chloe had been working extremely hard since the Queen Wasp incident. She had been their civilian aide, their confidante and their friend for a while before Marinette met with she and Pollen to create a new bee hero. Abeille was the first of the permanent members to join Ladybug in her training. Next was Rotor Faux, who had the brilliant idea to make sure Chloe was seen at the same time as the new bee. And with the heroes often showing up within minutes of each other, he had plenty of time to make it happen. Make sure Chloe was seen safe and away from danger before he made his way to the fight.

Manon Chamack found out Ladybug when she was seven years old. And while Marinette was hesitant to give her a Miraculous (even with Mullo insisting upon it with how long it had been since she'd had a true mouse), Ra's insisted. He brought up good points, and in the end, it was left up to Manon whether or not to join the team. Obviously, she said yes. 

Nino Lahiffe was next. Months after dumping Alya and a lot of hard work to regain the trust Marinette had in him that he had so foolishly squandered, she had given him back the turtle. Around this time she had also given Luka back the snake. With the two of them being the most calm and collected people she knew, even with their identities previously revealed there had been no footage, and no one remembered their identities but her. Even Chat didn't know.

Chat was getting to be a pain too, so she had made the executive decision to retire him. After all, she was the guardian. The Miraculous were under her protection. And Chat wasn't fit to wield one. Not that anyone missed him once he was gone with how much he slacked off and threw hissy fits with anyone called him on it. Not that they needed him. Still, the Ladybug and cat needed to be active at the same time. So when Felix made himself known, after a series of tests devised by Ra's, he was gifted the black cat, becoming Minuit Noir.

With her team complete and being trained by their mentor and a team of his most elite, Ra's finally gave them the truth. Who he was, the story of the Lazarus pits, the things he'd done to stay alive and in pursuit of making the world a better place, though he'd lost sight of that goal for a time.

By this point, the Miraculous team knew enough to know that the world was not black and white. Ra's cared about them. He had taken care of them and was still taking care of them when no one else would. Teaching them to be better, to do better. And they understood.

It was around this time that they decided they needed help, and Ra's had mentioned that he knew of a girl who had powerful friends and needed help herself. It was his plan they had set in motion. It was his plan they were hoping worked. The teenagers really would've preferred not to have to kill Hawkmoth, but better that than let him continue to terrorize Paris. Besides, the cure would bring him back anyways.

~~~~~

In exchange for the help of the pack freeing Paris, the Miraculous team agreed to help them free the Natur Geliebt. A race of elves like Echo, Kurt and Garfield, who just wanted to save their people. As soon as they were free and out of danger, the pack would join them in Paris. Ra's had helped Marinette decipher a spell that would disable any miraculous still in Paris once they left the city until the Ladybug Miraculous could be sensed again. For it to work, Ra's had stayed behind to hold it in place as the spell's anchor. It would take a lot of energy, so his daughter Talia was looking after him.

He had ordered air support to be ready when they were finished and ready to carry them out at a moment's notice. He had an Alaskan base in the vicinity of the American military stronghold there, and it was no secret that he had more guns. So with the people there ready to get them and all of the Natur Geliebt out, Echo and Marinette shook on the agreement of their teams. Both were extremely relieved. Echo for the extra assistance, and Marinette for the idea that they wouldn't have to kill anyone, even if he didn't stay dead.

Yes, this partnership would be interesting indeed.


	7. Stowaways Can't Be Choosers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Echo is going to kill a man this chapter. Be prepared for violence.
> 
> When people try to kidnap the w r o n g group and very much regret it.

The trip to find the Natur Geliebt takes about a week of hopping planes, trains and cargo ships. Travelling in shipping containers and baggage carts and eating the rations they'd brought along if they couldn't sneak through train cars or up to grab a little something from a food cabin. It was far from luxurious, but stowaways can't be choosers. And it wasn't like it was all bad. Along the way, the strange group of teenagers learned to work together. To have each other's backs. It went a long way towards being able to make a plan.

At least, until they ended up on the pirate ship. The ravagers had tried to leave any normal human behind, but with a little conspiring from the mutants and a bit of help from Rotor Faux, even Jason appeared to have powers. It wasn't too hard to believe Jason had super strength after all. He was built like an ox. For once it was good for something.

The idea was to make them face off in fatal combat, but it just wasn't going to happen. There was one lady who kept portalling everywhere but otherwise the ravagers were easy to beat. It was next to nothing. There was just one problem with most of them being easy to beat. They thought it would all be easy. So when someone grabbed Jason by the neck . . . . Well . . . Echo didn't take it well.

Her fur puffed up as her body adjusted itself until she was on all fours, a low hiss leaving her. Her tail flicked behind her in agitation, and her rapidly sharpening nails dug into the ground beneath her. Kurt and Gar's spines went rigid with the ominous feeling in the air, and they looked around, finding the clearly hostile posture. Kurt shrunk in on himself, and Gar matched Echo's pheromones, unknowingly releasing an aura heavy with threat at the sight of why she was so aggressive.

The girl's teeth drew back into a snarl, and when the man holding Jason pressed down just enough to draw blood, she lunged. Pupils dilating to near non-existence, she ported onto the back of this filth who dared touch someone from her pack. She ripped the sword out of his hands and kicked Jason away, wrapping her tail around the stranger's throat, claws digging into his shoulders till red ran down his front.

"You prove yourself unworthy of breathing."

And much to the horror of everyone present (or at least those who hadn't been trained by assassin's), she let go of his shoulders and dropped back onto all fours, tail tightening and dragging her victim to the ground.

"I will remedy this."

When her tail moved, Kurt flinched at the red that sprayed after she had drawn the spade over the man's throat, cutting his flesh and smiling as he choked on his own blood.

When she stood, she her eyes had returned to normal and she was looking at her hands like they were something she didn't recognize. It was Luka to notice they were shaking. He took off his jacket as he moved to her side, followed by Nathaniel and Marinette. They surrounded her easily, not that she noticed. Luka draped his jacket over her shoulder, and she finally looked up. Her eyes were glassy with unshed tears, and she looked back down, drawing the fabric closer around herself as he pulled her close with an arm around her shoulder, he and Marinette leading her away. Back to the cargo container they were currently housed in. 

Nathaniel stayed behind, looking around at the horrified faces of Echo's so called friends. Except the green one- he just looked . . . Sad. And the human. He seemed relieved. The others though, seemed terrified, and Nathaniel felt himself puff up.

"You realize that girl just killed a man to save Jason's life, right? And those looks on most of your faces just put her to tears."

Kurt opened his mouth to respond, and Nino sighed loudly, effectively drowning out whatever bullshit excuse was being given. Jason and Gar were just seeming to notice, and Gar caught on first.

"Wait, you guys are . . . Afraid of her?"

Lance flinched, but at least had the grace to look ashamed.

"She did just kill a man in front of us."

Jason let out a disbelieving chuckle.

"And you just . . . What? Thought that causing avalanches or sucking the energy out of people or dropping then from up in the air had no chance of killing anyone? You think _you've_ always done right? . . . Echo just _saved my life_. And if it had been any of yours at risk she'd have done the **same damn thing**! And did you even **look** at her after? She was in **_shock_**! She was **_shaking_**! And she's probably somewhere **_losing her mind_** right now because she just **killed** a man! What _**the fuck**_ is wrong with you!?"

Rogue took a step forward.

"It's just not that easy for us to accept Jason! We just watched someone bleed out-"

"Someone who had a goddamn _**sword**_ to my throat!"

"He was still a person!"

They were silent after that, staring at each other, chests heaving with breath. The sound of footsteps retreating toward the shipping container caught attention, and Kurt hurried to catch up and touch Gar's shoulder.

"Where are you going? I get that you're probably shaken by this but-"

Gar didn't even turn around before responding, loud and clear.

"I'm going to find Echo . . . Death comes for everyone, but I feel no sadness for the wicked whose time comes in the form of a protective friend or sister. I have no sympathy for that man. He was about to kill my friend. And while Jason is okay, Echo is probably bawling her eyes out somewhere thinking we're all afraid of her . . . I won't lose her to cowards like you."

There was silence for a moment, before Far jerked his shoulder away and started walking, followed quickly by Jason, who slowed to a walk when he caught up, and the rest of the Miraculous team.

They left behind Rogue, Lance and Kurt, confused, hurting and wondering if they really were in the wrong here.

~~~~~

A little later, a call was placed to one Professor Charles Xavier. He missed the call and had to listen to a message later, finding that it was a girl's voice on the line.

"Professor, It's Echo . . . I've called to tell you we made it. By morning we'll have freed everyone and we'll be in airships on the way back. I can't say I'll miss the cold . . . If I make it out of here I'll be happy for the freedom. If not, I'll be happy for the fact that I tried. I plan to make it out though, because I have promises to keep. Both to help my new friends free their home, and to you . . . I promised you that after this mission I would try and live a happy life. And I swear to you I will. As soon as they're free. I just have to get to them first. I'm sorry for the way this sounds, because I know it sounds like a goodbye. That's not what I'm trying to do, it's just . . . Things are difficult here. But I'm sure you have plenty to worry about so I won't bore you with the details. This number is a burner phone, so I wouldn't bother calling back. I just wanted to say . . . Thank you . . . For everything. For taking care of me when I had no one. I hope to see you soon Professor. I've got to go now, but we'll be home soon! Goodbye for now!"

He sighed into his hands, a soft smile taking over his expression. He couldn't help but be worried for them. Six months wasn't long, but Echo had made herself a facet in his school. He hoped not to lose her. He hoped she would make it home. 

~~~~~

Felix watched her hang up the phone, holding his hand out for it. She didn't argue, giving him the device, which he crushed in his hand. The pieces were dropped into a little fabric bag they'd all put the pieces of the crushed phones they'd used to call home into. Lance had called someone named Raven, Kurt had called his parents though they meant little to him after treating him like a freak his whole life. Jason called his brother Dick, Rogue called a woman named Irene, so on and so forth. It was just a precaution. A goodbye of sorts in case they didn't come back. She knew most of the Miraculous team had collectively decided to leave messages for their mentor Ra's.

A soft sigh left the elf as she leaned over the railing of the boat. She knew they were supposed to stay out of sight but they had allotted a certain amount of time to be outside to keep them all from going crazy. And she was out of sight anyways. Felix turned vaguely worried dove grey eyes to her, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"You know they didn't mean those reactions."

She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"No Félix, I don't know that. People's first reaction is often the most honest. By the logic I'm a monster, not that I blame them."

He clicked his tongue softly, shaking his head.

"By that logic the rest of us are monsters too. None of my team flinched at watching that man die, and we have a literal ten year old on our team. Gar looked just as angry as you, and Jason was just relieved. By your logic, we're all monsters."

She hunched her shoulders a bit further to shield her from the chilled wind, a small smile playing at her lips.

" . . . Then I guess we're all monsters together."

Felix noted with some satisfaction that she seemed in a bit better spirits.

"I suppose we are . . . Come along, let's get back inside before we freeze to death. Cats don't do well in the cold."

Echo chuckled softly, finally turning to face him.

"Alright, let's go kitty."

When she linked her arm with his, he found that he didn't mind it all that much, leading her back in silence. Only one more thing was said during their short walk.

" . . . Thank you . . . For cheering me up. I needed that tonight."

Felix nodded, and they made their way back in comfortable silence until they got back to the shipping container. She broke off with one more wave to go off towards where Chloe was braiding Manon's hair. A slight smirk tugged across his lips, and he didn't have to look to know it was Luka who put his arm over the blonde's shoulder. Or that they were both looking at the same person, laughing along with their friends. Luka spoke first.

"That one is special."

"Yes, she is . . . She deserves better than people who are going to shun her the moment she does something they don't agree with."

"You going to pursue her?"

"Are you?"

Once again, for a moment, silence reigned between them.

" . . . Good luck Fé."

"And to you too my brother."

"We should get some rest, it'll be a long night."

"True. We can't let her down. Not when it's this important."

"I'm glad we agree."

They watched as Far flopped across Echo's lap and they talked with small smiles, though hers looked a little pained. Félix frowned.

"He's going to be a problem.

His companion just chuckled.

"Afraid of a little competition Fé?"

"Never. A gentleman never fears a good rival."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem. I'm going to bed. We'll talk tonight."

And as everyone around him began to get comfortable for the next few hours, him slotting himself into an empty space near Echo, who gave a little smile and waved, if a little awkwardly. He found himself waving back, wondering what would become of that smile after that night.


	8. Of Rescues and Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Natur Geliebt are safe, and the pack meets Ra's al Ghul. But what is this strange feeling in Ra's' chest when he sees their guardian. And why is he so attached to these kids?

The rescue goes off without a hitch. With the miraculous holders paralyzing or incapacitating with no mercy and Rogue, Lance and Jason knocking people out (Or in Jason's case, shooting with extreme prejudice), it's easier for Echo, Kurt and Gar to go and find everyone. They can feel them. With six months of training together and learning more about how to find each other without dream fasting, it's almost too easy. Follow the signal to a large metal door, break a man's wrist and use his thumb to open the door, steal a few key cards off some guards who've been paralyzed by Abeille and open the cells holding the Natur Geliebt. It isn't difficult to get to them, though getting out proved to be a bit more difficult. Kurt ends up porting out to the cargo ship docked just a little ways away from the entrance in order to give them someone to feel for to get out. A few more guards show up on their way out, but they're no obstacle. Just a minor annoyance.

Echo and two of her sisters walk together, and the newly freed girls talk animatedly, while she stays silent and smiles at them. She seems relieved, and it's easy to see how much she loves them. Their parents were both killed in the capture, and that leaves their eldest sister Carina as the pack leader, though she has no authority over Echo herself anymore. The younger would still follow Carina if she asked, so it seemed a safe bet for them to talk to. It Rogue who bit the bullet, walking beside her for a moment or two before she spoke.

"Does Echo- . . . I mean, have you ever known her to be . . . excessively violent?"

The girl chuckled softly, and her voice was oddly soothing. A comforting, warm tone that wrapped around one's being like a hug. 

"Echo used to cry when my father brought home dead animals for supper. She hated when our brothers and sisters would fight too, although it's normal for the young. For any of us really. It's no surprise she found people to care enough to help her. She's always been magnetic that way."

Rogue swallowed hard.

"But I saw . . . I saw her kill someone. He threatened Jason, and Echo reacted so fast. She . . . she cut into him with her nails, she slit his throat with her tail-"

"Merely protective instinct. She would've dropped to all fours and bared her teeth first, which is a warning. Next, she would release menacing pheromones and her tail would harden and sharpen. Her tails would grow and sharpen and then she'd wait for her opponent's next move. Did anything happen right before she attacked?"

She didn't seem worried, and Rogue thought back to the event itself.

" . . . He cut Jason."

Carina seemed to have expected this, nodding serenely.

"If her opponent drew first blood, his death was inevitable. You have a green with you, and they are also known for having extremely strong protective instincts and little mercy when it comes to those instincts. If Echo hadn't done it, your friend would have."

The thought sent a shiver down Rogue's spine.

"I guess I should be grateful they'd want to protect us."

Carina nodded again.

"Yes, it is rare for a Natur Geliebt to become attached to humans. You are fortunate to have three. It is a great honor to have even one. You and your friends will be welcomed by our people always. Because with so long spent around them, you almost smell like one of us."

Somehow that was scarier than actually watching that man die.

~~~~~

The Natur Geliebt are taken back to their village, where the assassins piloting the jets leave them with what will hopefully be enough to feed them until they're stocked for winter. The summer is just beginning, but already they have lost time they would have spent beginning to hunt for winter. They seem to be happy enough beginning to clear out the wreckage and rebuild. They stay for about three days, helping with the reconstruction before they leave for Paris. Another call to the professor reveals that Ororo landed there yesterday and will be waiting for them. So the miraculous team tells him where to send her to find their mentor. Hopefully they'll get along, but just in case they ask the assassins piloting to get them there as quickly as possible. Which turns out to be a lot quicker than one would think. Within nine hours they're landing in Paris and darting over the rooftops and through alleyways until they reach a rather large house.

The Miraculous Team leads them in through a side door, though they had de-transformed several blocks before. Their mentor, who had been sitting on a large cushion with his legs crossed, opened his eyes. They glowed white for a moment, but he blinked a few times and they faded to a warm, tired jade. Standing, he held out his arms, which Marinette and Manon ran into, the rest approaching at brisk walks or light jogs. They all seemed so happy to see him, chattering excitedly. He chuckled softly.

"Now now my children, we'll have plenty of time to talk. Over dinner, actually. Talia and Ororo have been preparing tonight's dinner since they both arrived this morning. I suspect it will be most enjoyable. For now, why don't you introduce me to your friends."

He turned a smile to the pack, who stood awkwardly by the door. Felix cleared his throat. Well this would be interesting.

~~~~~

Ororo had welcomed the pack with a bright smile and warm hugs, though she held Echo a little longer than the rest. She tightened her arms just a little.

"I know what happened on that ship. It doesn't make you a bad person darling. I promise you it doesn't."

Echo froze, eyes tearing up.

"You're not . . . you're not scared?"

Ororo chuckled warmly.

"No darling, I'm not afraid. You do not ever have to worry about scaring me. Garfield told me what happened, and I am so proud of you. Protecting the people you care about is nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing. I promise you."

She moved back a bit, looking Echo in the eyes and brushing away the tears there.

"Echo, you will never have to worry about what I will think if your heart is in the right place. I may question the why, but I will always ask for your reasons. And I will never judge you."

Echo's lip quivered, and she dove back into Ororo's arms. To her credit, the woman just rubbed her back, whispering soft assurances. In the doorway, where he'd shoo'd away everyone else to give them some privacy, Ra's al Ghul felt his heart ache for this girl. He remembered his first kill. And he remembered Talia's. And Damian's. It was never easy. But then, that was why he'd began the League of Assassins. Because it wasn't easy. The people he trained learned to do the hard things. Maybe he could teach her. Or at least help her. He was at least going to try. It was as he thought this that Ororo caught sight of him. She smiled, and he felt his heart skip a beat. As it had every time he'd opened his eyes these last few hours to see her. How strange.

Shaking his head, he smiled back and pointed towards the kitchen. She nodded once, and gestured for a moment. He simply shot her another smile and headed out, unable to stop thinking of the image of Ororo comforting that girl. She'd make a wonderful mother. The thought turned the tips of his ears red, and he was glad his hair covered it, it had gotten a little shaggy lately, the white stripes barely visible as the original dark color grew out. Still, Talia smiled knowingly as he entered the room. Spine stiffening, he pursed his lips.

"Not a word."

She just shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't say a single thing."

She looked far too smug for his liking.

~~~~~

Dinner was actually surprisingly pleasant. It had been decided that Ororo and the pack would stay with Ra's and the Miraculous team (Most of them). Marinette's parents had essentially let her raise herself, and they had believed a girl named Lila when she lied about Marinette to her faces. Realizing they didn't really know their daughter, they believed her. So when Ra's had come and pointed out all the ways they had failed their daughter, Gina right behind him, they had asked if he thought he could do better. And when he and Gina both said yes, they had been quick to sign over custody of their "problem child". Nino was much the same way, but unlike Marinette's parents, they believed their child over a stranger. They paid closer attention for a while, and were assured that they made the right decision. He was a good kid. Nathaniel's parents were divorced and his mother had been an alcoholic. She had died of alcohol poisoning and his father in a car crash, leaving him an orphan, quickly taken in by Ra's. Luka was legally an adult and lived here of his own volition. With Ra's refusing to let him pay rent, he'd snuck money into the man's pocket and anywhere Luka knew he would find it, really. eventually Ra's had agreed to let him do the grocery shopping for the house, which he did with some help from Marinette.

Chloe's parents barely knew she existed, and that was just fine by her. She'd taken the necessary tests to skip a couple of grades and graduated two years early. Now she was taking business classes at a local university. She was priming to take over her father's business. He'd promised her that when she graduated next month he would give her the hotel as a graduation present. Felix . . . was an enigma. He had a mother who loved him, but she had been feeling sick recently and gone to stay with his grandfather in Edinburgh, sending him to stay with his uncle and cousin for fear of him catching whatever it was that was ailing her. His father had tried to do much the same to them before he'd died, but his mother hadn't let him. Now that it was her, she did what she wouldn't permit her husband to do. The hypocrisy of it all stung almost as much as his uncle not caring at all and his cousin ignoring him for the most part, skulking around in sullen silence. Nathalie was pleasant, and so was Laurent, but those were the only bright spots he'd been able to find until he'd run into Marinette and Ra's. 

Manon, being just ten and always with a babysitter while her mother worked too many hours and found too few stories, was grateful her mother was on a trip right then. She'd been left with Luka, who her mother found capable, and would be here for another week before her mother returned to resume their regular schedule. All in all, if the members of the team didn't live in this place, they spent most of their free time there. And now, they opened up their home to their new friends.

Well, Chloe thought, looking between Echo and each of the boys whose hearts she'd unknowingly stolen, this was going to be a disaster. But at least it would be fun to watch.

Across the room, Lance Alvers found that he couldn't agree more.


End file.
